Heirloom tomat's.Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x8

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Sometimes painting tomatoes seems so easy...and other times not so much. The challenging thing is they are so multi-valued and hued and then have shiny skin that reflects light. I love a challenge and I learned something new about painting these guys...for one thing, use a fast drying medium so you can layer color faster than usual. L.

Yearning.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Somehow my colors did not come through the photographic process as vibrant as they are in reality. Every time I paint some glass or a reflective surface I decide I will do more because its so fun. I love these orange rankly Zinnias.

L.

Swell bouquet.Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x8

Ah ...happy day! Mary Elizabeth has returned from her studies in Europe, and today we painted together while her niece and my son played! My lovely neighbors provided the inspirational matter. We are going through a non-napping phase here ...which has "cramped my painting -a-day style" so today was double lucky.

L.

Sweets for my sweet.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

I have been wanting to paint these cookies since I bought them....at Christmas. Very subtle brown value changes made them technically more challenging than I anticipated, bring it on!

L.

Regatta

I keep thinking about how daily painting is like therapy for me, and why...I think a big part of it is that it forces me to focus on a small beauty or interesting thing....and more and more I realize that it is the ability to enjoy the smallest of moments and things that makes me happy... the material goods don't ever work for long. ooh deep huh?

L.

Sorolla beaches.

I had a request for beach scenes and as I was going through my reference photos, I found some beach shots, but wasn't really inspired. Then I thought of Sorolla a nineteenth century painter from Spain that I adore, his beach scenes are so painterly and full of light. I always love that he didn't consider himself an impressionist, but "a painter of light". So today I deleted all figures from these scenes, and loosely interpreted them. I really like the way they turned out. I emailed them to a friend who declared them to be interesting and nice but decidedly not 'Lydia Host' !! Funny....and true. L.

Marina II.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x8

I couldn't help myself. Having too much fun with boats and their reflections. The Circus is in town! This morning we went to see the elephants have a brunch, I thought I'd share an image of this with you as it was completely charming, although hot as hell.

L.

Marina.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

I am working on a commission of boats, and so I went to the marina today to take some photographs as it is really too hot to paint in full sun right now (97 today). I was thinking how charming and alluring the sailboats looked docked in their spaces....and I wondered what feelings a row of cars painted might evoke. Is it the promise of the wind in your hair and salty air beckoning you to sail away...?? Maybe a row of motorcycles or convertibles?

L.

Figure study.Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x8

This is the last of my pre-framed boards that I painted over corny sayings. This is also from last figure drawing class. I am having some computer glitches, and I saw how cheap lap top computers are becoming...very tempting. (cheap is relative in this case!). L.

Happy Aniversary man Lydia Host daily painting a day8x8

I put up both shots of today's because it really shows how different lighting can affect a photogragh of a painting. The real thing looks more like the bottom photo. I was thinking of Janet Fish , an artist that is so fantastic with glass. I had a nice artist chat today with an artist friend Jenifer Allen, who's blog and website you should check out!

L.

Happy Aniversary.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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In the back of my mind I have been thinking "gee, I need to see if I've done this for a whole year yet..." Well today I checked and I have...over a year ! Started in May of last year....only two paintings in May....but still! Happy Aniversary!!!! albeit belated. Thanks to you who subscribe and check in on this blog, the many comments and general feedback that I have gotten from this endeavor have been life-changing. Thank you!

L.

Figure study.Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x8

I wish every women and man on earth would pose for an artist... one time...they'd be so happy with the result, and maybe it would lower the body dis morphia that seems to afflict almost every woman that I know!! I would have to include myself in this wish, but really every time I paint a figure I think of how amazing and beautiful and interesting the human can be. The variation in humans is a large part of what makes them interesting...which is why I am against a lot of plastic surgery that seems geared toward generalisation and idealised versions of people. Be your unique interesting self. L.

Good Momma.

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I love a good motherly pose! This is my friend and former student Regina and her little baby girl Holly. Regina is such a loving and natural mother, its great to see her in this role. We were visiting and Holly just was so comfortable just completely nestled up against her Momma deep in her dreams. I thought it might be interesting to see some different stages of a painting; the top image is the finished piece, the second obviously a blurry in progress, and the bottom sketch is for a watercolor of the same pose. I will show that one finished as well... if I don't mess it up in process!

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Charming. Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x8

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Went Plein aire painting today, in Washington square Oakleigh district Mobile AL. Beautiful neighborhood with old houses, people out jogging and walking their dogs...it was cool and shady. My painting buddies today were: Jami buck, Tracy Host, Joanne Brandt, and Laura Worsham, all who have blogs that are linked up to my blog..in my section over to the right titled 'bequiling blogs'.

The top piece is a watercolor that I started a long time ago and just finished...I think.

L.

Yard of the month.Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x8

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I feel as though I do my part in helping my next door neighbors win 'Yard of the month' by keeping a suitably shabby yard for comparison! Plus their yard is really beautiful- take these hydrangeas for just one example, combined with my drooping Mexican petunias, the contrast is pleasing. Oh and the vase is one of my husbands...from his teal phase.

L.

Figure..Lydia Host daily painting a day 15x20

This is one of my last figure drawings from this past session. I used my watercolor crayons on illustration board. I am working on some comissions and have had a hard time doing daily painting this week (well its only tuesday). My little fiesty security dog, Bacchus passed away on Sunday and we have all been so so sad. Go give your pets a hug/pat and a treat for me- appreciate them while they are around! Its worth the sadness after they are gone to have had your life enriched by them... L.